Good Fruit

When I was a kid, in the late summer, my brothers and I would go to an old farm and pick green apples. The ones we didn’t eat that actually made it home, my mother would use to make apple pie or apple crisp.  Served with ice cream or cool whip, it was a little taste of heaven. 

We always picked the best apples, not just the ones close to the ground.  We would climb up into the trees to get the ones that were the biggest, brightest, greenest, and hardest. The ones that were bad, brown, squishy, or had worm holes, we either left alone or threw them at one another (boys will be boys), but we were drawn to the good apples.

Today it’s much the same.  When we go into the produce section of a grocery store, we are drawn to and pick from the fruit that looks good.  If there are any that are shriveled or moldy, we make funny faces and avoid them. We recognize and prefer good fruit.

The world hungers for good fruit, not just the kind on trees or in grocery stores, but the fruit we bear as disciples of Jesus.  It’s our love, patience, peace, joy, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and self-control that’s attractive and desirable.  The world not only hungers for this good fruit, but it’s starving for it.

Jesus tells us in the gospels how we can come to bear this fruit and help him feed the world around us.  In Matthew 13:23, Jesus says the seed that falls on good ground is someone who hears the word of God and understands it.  By hearing the word of God and understanding it, incorporating the lessons of Jesus into our daily life, and living out of faith and trust in him, we will be more patient, generous, and kind.  Nourishing our life by attending mass, spending time in scripture, praying, going to confession, listening to uplifting music and being with people who support and encourage us in our growth as a disciple, will enable us to manifest fruits that are attractive and desirable.  Just like in the grocery store, people will gravitate to the nicest fruits.

Jesus needs us to be fruitful, for those around us to see and be attracted to the good fruit we bear.  He needs us to be a witness, just by our everyday actions, to the life that Jesus offers; to lead someone one step closer to him.  He wants them to know that he sees and acknowledges them, so that they experience the love he has for them and can express their love in return. In this way, we help Jesus spiritually feed those around us.  The word that goes forth from God’s mouth does not return to him empty, but through us, through our fruitfulness, achieves the end for which he sent it and help him gather people to himself, to know his love, and grow his kingdom.

The Harvest is Rich

In scripture, we encounter a God who is continually working to gather us back to himself.  In Exodus (19:2-6) we hear God working through Moses to gather the Israelites to himself by telling them that they will be his special possession if they listen to his voice and keep his covenant.

In Matthew (9:36-10:8) we have Jesus amongst a crowd of people who were troubled, confused, and left to spiritually fend for themselves.  He felt pity for them. They were vulnerable to those who would separate, divide, and scatter; those who would lead them away from a loving relationship with God;  lead them away from true happiness, peace, and freedom;  lead them away from the one who came to save them.

There were so many people that Jesus summons his 12 apostles to help gather them to himself, to lead them to the Kingdom of heaven. They were to go through towns, doing the same works Jesus did, proclaiming the good news to those they met, that the Kingdom of Heaven is here.

Jesus is still gathering today. In our world we can see division.  We can see attempts to scatter and confuse.  Efforts to tempt people with prosperity and a false sense of happiness for the aim of making a profit or gaining power. Leading people away from the person they are really searching for.

We see these people, we know these people, we love these people, and probably feel for them the way Jesus felt for those in the crowd. That feeling is our cue.  Because of our love for Jesus and our neighbor, we respond by adding our name to the list of the 12, and with a courageous heart, go where he sends us. We help him gather those at our work, in our school, our families, and at the margins of society to himself.

We begin our work with our presence.  Not just any presence, but a listening presence.  Listening is an act of love.  If the person we are with is open and true, and we are open and true, over time, listening will build trust.  If this trust is authentic, it eventually leads to an invitation to carefully enter a person’s heart. By sharing whatever it is they hold there, we can bless them with our presence, with love and with truth, proclaim the gospel message into their life, and affirm for them who they really are, a beloved son or daughter of God.  Our listening and patience can result in an encounter with the love of Jesus.

God continues to gather us to himself, through Moses, the 12 apostles, and now through us.  We help Jesus by listening to those we are with, those we care for, those we love, leading them to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is here, which is where we find true happiness, true peace, true freedom in the one we are really searching for. Get out there and keep listening.

Ascendance into Heaven

Through Catholic Charities and with the help of others, we were able to do a funeral and burial service for a man named John a couple of weeks ago.  John was 66 years old and homeless.  His life was a struggle. He was living in abandoned houses around the city and, back in March, came to Catholic Charities for help.  One of the counselors spoke with him and convinced John to spend that night in the warming center and not in some cold, dirty, dangerous place by himself, and that they would talk the next morning. John fell asleep in the Catholic Charities Warming Center and never woke up. 

It was a blessing for us to conduct this funeral and burial for a man we considered our guest, but who the rest of society didn’t see. At the cemetery, in addition to John, we had the honor to lay to rest the remains of seven others who no one claimed. It was a sad reminder for us that there are many people in our world who are invisible, unknown, have no one to care for them and who’s passing from this world just goes unnoticed.

In the midst of these events, we celebrated the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.  Through his ascension, Jesus shows us why caring for our dead is so important. The words of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew (28:16-20) are a source of comfort for us and especially for those who are alone, and they encourage us to go out and tell this comforting, good news.

When Jesus ascended, humanity entered heaven.  His resurrected, human body entered heaven to be with his father.  Because of his ascension, it’s our hope that one day, after our death, our bodies will be resurrected and will enter heaven, as Jesus did, so we can live with God forever.  Jesus’ ascension shows us that even after death our bodies have dignity.  Even though forgotten by society, the bodies of John and the other seven have dignity, in the hope that one day they will be resurrected and enter heaven.  Jesus’ ascension gives us hope and shows us why this work of mercy of caring for the bodies of the dead is so important. Because made in his image and likeness, we have dignity.

When Jesus ascended, he left the earth, but he’s not absent.  Through his Holy Spirit, he’s alive, present, and as he promised, always with us. He’s present in our living and in our death. It’s comforting for me to know that even though their passing went unnoticed, Jesus was with John and the seven, at the time of their death. The promise of Jesus to always be with us is comforting especially to those who are otherwise alone.  We pray that because of his promise, they know and feel the comforting presence of Jesus in their loneliness.

Jesus gives us the responsibility and the power to spread this message, especially to the lonely. Accomplishing this mission begins with ourselves.  We give the Holy Spirit permission to change our life through constant growth and conversion, allowing God’s grace to continually transform our hearts and minds to love more and be more like Jesus.

As we grow, we don’t stand around looking into the sky, but we go out.  Wherever it is we find ourselves, we share this love and life we have with Jesus and with others. By what we say and do, we help those we are with to know that Jesus loves them deeply. That nothing will ever stop him from loving them.  That no matter how invisible they think they are, they matter.  They matter so much that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so that even after their death on earth they can have life and live in peace with him forever. Like a friend of mine said, “Just knowing somebody cares, makes all the difference.”  Just imagine the difference then, when someone knows that Jesus cares and is always with them.

The Ascension of Jesus into heaven is good news.  It gives me hope especially when I think of John, the seven, and others like them. No longer are they unnoticed and unknown, but we pray, are now in their true home, in the arms of the one who created them, who always loved them, and who was always with them. We pray that they are at peace and their struggles over.

Come Holy Spirit

At Catholic Charities I encounter many people who are struggling with trials of one type or another and some who are out right suffering. I see how many respond to the trials in their life.  The people who inspire me are those who seem joyful in the middle of it all and go about taking the steps they can to help improve their situation.  But how do they have joy?

Suffering is not fun, and it doesn’t bring us a sense of happiness.  But those who are joyful see it from a different perspective.  To them every trial is an opportunity.  It’s a chance to reflect and take stock of their faith in Jesus. A chance to discern how much they really trust him. A time when instead of distancing themselves from him and trying to comfort themselves on their own or in a strange way the world tells them, with the help of the Holy Spirit, they intentionally turn towards Jesus, draw closer to him, lean on him, and love him even more. With the help of the Holy Spirit, their trials actually nourish their life with Jesus. It’s this life with Jesus that gives us them power to engage, endure, overcome, and even be joyful in it all, making things they face seem a little less frightening.  Where can I get this life with Jesus?  It comes from our belief in him.

Our belief in Jesus does not depend on us being able to see him like his disciples did before he ascended to heaven. In 1 Peter 1:3-9 we read that although you have not seen him, you love him and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him. And Jesus himself told us in the Gospel of John that those who have not seen and have believed are blessed. Our belief in Jesus comes from something other than our eyesight.

 In his Gospel John tells us that he wrote the things he did so that we would come to believe.  To believe that Jesus is the merciful Son of God, that he created you, that he loves who he created, and you don’t need to change it, that he never leaves you, that he comes closer to you in trials and suffering. To believe that he died to save your life, that he rose from the dead, that he is alive, and even though we can’t physically see him, that he is among us, so he can have a life with you and you with him forever. One way we can come to believe or strengthen our current belief in Jesus is by allowing the Holy Spirit to help us know him even better in the Gospel. 

The Gospel, written that we would come to believe, and in that belief, we would have life with Jesus, and in that life receive power endure trials, and like those who inspire me, remain joyful in suffering, showing those around us the power the Gospel has to engage and overcome the difficulties we might face.  

Our hope is in Jesus who we can come to know through the Gospel. The Gospel is an invitation into a heavenly life in communion with our merciful God, where trials, struggles, and suffering do not discourage us.  It’s up to us how we choose to respond. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us accept this invitation.

Motivated By Love

            Over the years, living in a house with my wife and two daughters, I have been very blessed to see how mothers and daughters relate to one another and how their relationships can change.  When our girls were young and everything seemed new to them, my wife was excited to do kid stuff; blow bubbles, make s’mores in the summer and snowmen in the winter, or bake cupcakes and cookies.  I saw much fun and love, even though everything wasn’t always smooth and easy. 

Time passed and adolescence set in.  There was shopping, and clothes, complicated emotions, stubbornness, hard headedness, conflict, and even tears sometimes, and still much love.  My wife was not a helicopter mom, but always ready to forgive, to guide, and encourage them.  Always willing to give them some freedom and another chance to earn back trust, if it had been violated.  She remained strong when she said good bye and let them go, to make their own way in the world.  These days, my girl’s relationship with their mom has become a beautiful friendship.  They still call often to ask advice, to vent, or just talk.  Because of love, my wife would still do anything for them.

Psychiatrists say that not all, but most, mother-daughter relationships are very strong.  In fact, some say it’s the most powerful bond in the world.  It affects health, self-esteem, and even other relationships.

I bring this up because I think it helps to partly explain the actions of the woman found in a story in Matthew’s Gospel (Mt. 15:21-28), a Canaanite, a Gentile.  This woman was not a child of the house of Israel, not a follower of Jesus and had no claim on his healing powers, as he made clear to her.  It seems like there was a divide between them because of their different beliefs, she really had no business going to him, but something drew her. 

I imagine this woman heard others talking about Jesus and how he healed the sick.  All of a sudden she had a new hope.  Jesus could heal her daughter.  Her love for her daughter motivated her to take advantage of the opportunity to go to Jesus as he passed by.  I think we can learn a lot from this story and what Jesus sees in this woman by what didn’t happen. 

First, Jesus didn’t send her away.  Even though the woman was a gentile and not his follower, even though they were different, she approached him and Jesus didn’t send her away.  We can go to Jesus no matter who we think we are, we can go to him just as we are.  We don’t have to worry that we’re not good enough or worthy.  We can trust that he will never send us away and will always receive us, that our life matters to him, that our suffering will be met with his mercy. 

If Jesus does that for us, we should do it for one another.  Even in our differences, to receive one another, to know that everyone’s life matters, and to meet suffering with mercy.  This happens right before our eyes at Catholic Charities.

The woman didn’t stop her pleading.  Even though she was annoying his followers, and they wanted her sent away, she didn’t stop.  She kept her focus on him.  In our lives, there are things that can keep us from Jesus and separate us from one another.  Some come from ourselves like doubt, pride, and fear.  Some are voices of our friends, family members, and the media. Like this woman, we need to focus past the things that could cause us to be separated and on things that bring us closer to Jesus and closer to one another. 

Jesus didn’t answer the woman as she expected.  At first, there was no answer.  When he did answer, told her it wasn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs. (There is that difference again).  I bet this wasn’t the answer she hoped for, wanted, or expected to hear. 

Driven by the love for her daughter, and the knowledge that he was her only remaining hope to end their suffering, she didn’t leave.  Even after he implied she wasn’t worthy of his attention, she didn’t give up.  She kept the conversation open.  She didn’t become offended but remained humble and determined (even stubborn, hard headed) and stayed with Jesus, she clung to him. 

Even though they were different, even though people were trying to send her away and separate them, even though she wasn’t getting the answers she expected, through it all, motivated by love and knowing he could and was able to heal her daughter, she wasn’t leaving him.  That is her great faith. 

That is the faith we are called to.  To know Jesus can do what we ask, and through it all, whatever we go through, to cling to him in humility.  Stay with him, even if he doesn’t answer how and when we expect.  If we persist in prayer, even for what seems an impossible goal, we will receive surprising grace.

What a lesson for us.  To be motivated by love, acknowledge our differences, see past things that try to separate us, not become offended, remain humble and determined and keep conversations open. To have faith in one another.

Be Like Your Teacher

Every Disciple will be like his teacher.  Back in the 90’s when I worked at Buick, I can recall that the manager of our factory at the time always wore a sweater vest.  Not that there was anything wrong with it, but it just set him apart from how other managers dressed in suits and ties. It wasn’t long that I noticed that most of the other men I worked with started to wear sweater vests too. Some looked good in them, others not so much.  I don’t think it was a fashion trend at the time but the men, were becoming like their leader at least in the way they dressed.  Could this be what Jesus means when he says that every disciple will be like his teacher?  Maybe not, but we will become like our teacher.  We will become like the one we follow.  Jesus gives us a choice.  A choice to follow and become like him or, follow others and become like them.

We can check ourselves and to whom we are a disciple by monitoring our speech.  In the book of Sirach we hear that one’s speech discloses the bent of one’s mind (Sirach 27:4) and Jesus tells us that, “from the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).  If we are truly a disciple of Jesus, over time, as we learn from him, our minds and our hearts become more and more like his and the things we say become more and more like what he would say.  Sometimes in the heat of the moment, our emotions can take over and speaking like Jesus can be a very difficult thing to do.   

Sometimes we can feel betrayed by someone we love.  Jesus was betrayed by someone he loved, by one of his own disciples. His response wasn’t to fight back but simply give himself over to the soldiers who came for him. As we become more like Jesus, in times we feel betrayed, we will shift our focus from ourselves, our disbelief, our anger, and our desire for revenge.  We will speak forgiveness, maybe reconciliation, and move forward in life.

Sometimes someone we love can wrongly blame us for the misfortunes of their life.  Jesus was unjustly accused.  His response wasn’t to make an argument to justify himself but to be a witness to the truth.  As we become more like Jesus, in times we are unjustly blamed, we’ll set aside our self-righteousness, refrain from the need to build convincing cases to justify our actions, prove someone else wrong, shout them down and cause division.  Instead, we will be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.  When we do speak, it will be the truth spoken with mercy and tenderness and love.

Sometimes our burdens in life can be too much for us to bear. Jesus had a burden to bear, a cross, that was so heavy he couldn’t carry it himself. His response was to accept the help of Simeon to carry the cross together to the place he would die.  As we become more like Jesus, we set aside our pride, our tendency to think, I’ve got this, I don’t need anybody’s help and instead realize our weakness.  In our humility, we accept the help God sends us in other people to carry our burden with us. When we speak, we speak with gratitude and thankfulness.

 Sometimes parts of us need to die.  Jesus died, and before he did, he commended his spirit to his Father. As we become more like Jesus, we let go of our need for control and recognition. Those parts of us die and we place our lives in trust to God.  God is all we need. We speak less about ourselves and more compassionately to the people we are with.  

Out of all of these events that can be part of our life, betrayal, blame, burdens, and death, something new, and even beautiful can result from our facing them.  Jesus encountered all this and rose to new life. From his suffering and death, came resurrection. As we become more like Jesus, we have renewed hope.  Hope in resurrection, hope in new life.  It is this hope that encourages us to endure all that life brings our way and inspires us to follow Jesus and become more and more like him.  To speak with forgiveness, tenderness, mercy, love, gratitude, thankfulness and compassion, knowing something new awaits us. 

We will become like our teacher.  We will become like the one we follow.  Jesus gives us a choice.  A choice to go to him, listen to his words, act on them, and become like him or, follow others and become like them. Who are you following?

The Woman at the Well

Often during Lent we hear the story of the Woman at the Well (John 4:5-42).  According to some biblical scholars, back at that time most women went to the well early in the day before it became too hot.  Young men knew this and would often go to the well too.  Not to get water, but possibly to find a wife. They didn’t have Tinder or any of the dating apps we do now, and you didn’t go to the bar; you went to the well. 

If that’s the case then it can give us a little bit different perspective on why the woman in our story. She had five husbands and was living with another man. Along with wanting to avoid judgement, and gossip, maybe with all the man trouble in her life, she didn’t need another one, so she went when she thought none would be there. And then she meets the one man she did need in her life.  She met Jesus.

We are all like the woman at the well.  Christ comes to meet every human being at the well and asks each of us for a drink.  He’s thirsty, but what’s he thirsty for?  What do we give him to drink?

Jesus thirsts that we would thirst for him.  That we would desire to spend time with him, telling him what’s going on, listening for his response, and responding to him with gratitude and action if he asks us to do something.  We do this in prayer.

Prayer is our response to Jesus’ thirst.  We go to the well.  Sometimes this can be hard to do.  We’re too busy, too distracted, or maybe like the woman in the story, we’re afraid of or won’t like who we’ll see at the well, our own image reflected back at us. But just as Jesus knew all about the woman and everything she had done and still thirsted for her devotion, so it is with us.  Jesus thirsts for the real you. So, paying attention to what we are thinking and feeling, noticing what’s going on inside of us, in silence and stillness, we make our way, just as we are, to the well.

Like the woman, we have a conversation with Jesus, we tell him what’s going on in our life. Tell him about our joys, excitements and what we are happy about.  Tell him about our struggles and those things that weigh on our minds and hearts.  Even the small stuff. He wants to hear all of it.

Then we listen and humbly receive his help, comfort, healing, and peace.  We thank him for his love and care for us and if asked, respond with action like the woman did when she went off to tell others.

 Our thirst meets Jesus’ thirst at the well in prayer.  The woman came to the well thirsty.  She thirsted for more than just water, she thirsted for someone who she could be herself with, someone who accepted and truly loved the real her even with all she had done.  She found that in Jesus, her real thirst was quenched, and so it can be for us.

Instead of pursuing things we think will satisfy us, but never really do, like the admiration of others, security in possessions or wealth, or a craving for power… we can go to the well and find Jesus. Assured of his acceptance, love, and forgiveness, we won’t be thirsty anymore.  Jesus is waiting for you at the well.  He’s thirsty.  Give him a drink.

The Way of Love

I was recently reflecting on one of St. Paul’s letters, I was reminded of “why” Catholic Charities exists…..for no other reason but simply …TO LOVE.

Read what St. Paul says (1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:8)

“The Way of Love. But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;

if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing

If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated,

it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.”

Reading what Paul says this love looks like, our purpose at Catholic Charities becomes clearer.  To treat those we serve, our co-workers, our donors, our families, our friends, and others we meet with patience, kindness, humility, politeness, interest, hope, and truth. 

Without this love, we are nothing.  Without this love, all the good work Catholic Charities does will pass away and it will become nothing.

I thank you and pray that you continue to do what you do, with the love of Jesus in your heart.  Love those you serve.  Love those you work with. Love those you encounter throughout your day.

It is only this love that will endure all things and never fail.  Every other good does not come from us, but is a result of this love.

Peace,

Deacon Ken

Will You Marry Me?

Several weeks ago, I heard Fr. Bob McGraw, in a homily, preach on how to have peace in our souls.  It stuck with me, because I want, (and I bet you do to), my soul to be peaceful. I want to be able to face anything the comes my way, no matter how trivial or troubling it might seem, with a calm, purposeful response. I want to have emotional reactions driven by pride, worry, or a need to control what’s going on around me.  To know that in the end, things will work out and everything will be ok. I want this peace.

“For our souls to be at peace, Fr. Bob said, “it takes living a lifestyle of trust in Jesus.” I’ve pondered that over the weeks contemplating what this lifestyle might look like.  Reflecting on readings from Isaiah and the Gospel of John, I’ve come to realize that this lifestyle is a relationship, a giving and receiving relationship, a relationship that looks like marriage.

In the book of the prophet Isaiah (Is 62:1-5) we hear Isaiah’s prophecy and God’s promise to marry his people, rejoice and take delight in them as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride.  This prophecy comes to its fulfillment in John’s Gospel (Jn 2:1-11), with Jesus at the wedding in Cana. 

When the wine ran out Mary went to her son and told him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus response of, “Woman how does your concern affect me?” seems a little harsh but reasonable since it was the bridegroom’s responsibility to supply the wine.  But Mary kind of puts Jesus on the spot by telling the servers to, “Do whatever he tells you.” And by doing as they are asked; Jesus supplies large amounts of the finest wine and by doing so takes on the role of the bridegroom.   

We don’t hear much about the bride in this story.  That’s because we are the bride, Jesus is our bridegroom.  At the wedding at Cana, through Jesus, God marries his people just like he said he would.

Jesus is the spouse of every soul.  Together we are the bride of Christ, and each of us independently is a bride of Christ. Even men are a bride.  That’s because the love Jesus has for each of us is a spousal love. Spousal love is total, complete, self-giving, sacrificial, unitive, brings forth new life, and lasts forever.  When it comes to loving us, Jesus holds nothing back.  He gives all his love.  He struggled, he suffered, he gave his life, and rose from the dead to be one with us and give us new life, forever.  Jesus truly is our bridegroom.

 Jesus gives and does everything to save his bride. The pledge of his life is his marriage proposal to us, and we are free to accept it or not.  We accept the proposal and receive his love by spending time with him. We speak with him as we go through the places and events of our day.  We pour out our heart and soul to him, sharing with him all our hurts, troubles, worries, and concerns.  We laugh with him, cry with him, and argue with him. We listen, are forgiven and are consoled by him. We receive and are filled with his love, we respond by loving him back.

We love Jesus in return when we love others.  We take the love he has for us and the love we have for him and share it with those Jesus brings into our lives.  We love others the way he loves us, with a spousal love.  We become for them…  we become for others...  and as a result, new life in the form of new relationships is born.

When we strive to respond to Jesus’ love pledging our life to him by spending time with him and doing his will, and when we do our best to love others the way he loves us, we begin to live that lifestyle of trust.  We know for certain that things will work out and we can be sure that everything is going to be ok.  We know this because we are not alone but are one with our bridegroom who is for us, who is on our side, and who will never give up on his bride…ever.  Our souls are peaceful.  We are made new.  We have new life.

A new year, a new you, and a peaceful soul begins with accepting Jesus’ proposal to you, “Will you marry me?”  What is your response?

The Gift of Presence

Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste
to a Judean town in the hill country, where she
entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped
in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And why has this happened to me, that the mother of
my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound
of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a
fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

As we approach Christmas, I am sure the thoughts of presents have crossed your mind.  Today I want us to think about presents.  Not presents that we wrap in paper to give and receive at Christmas, but presence.  Six years ago, in a small town, far, far away, where the road ends, my mom passed away. (I come from a small town in the UP.)  There was no newspaper that we could place an obituary in time to notify people of a funeral.  But there was a local woman, Jan Tucker, who did a daily radio talk show that just about everybody listened to.  When I was a kid that show was uncool and annoying, but something happened when I get older, I can’t get enough of her show.  Well, we asked Jan, who knew my mom, to announce my mom’s funeral on her show.  She did. In the funeral home the night before the funeral mass, about 200 people showed up. I saw people I hadn’t seen in over 30 years.  Even the Pastor and a couple members of the staff from my church in Burton made the 10 hour trek and showed up that evening.  I felt excited, consoled, supported, thankful, and humbled by everyone’s presence.  Their physical presence was a big deal.

If you think back to a time someone you know and love made the effort to be with you, especially in a time of struggle or need, maybe you can remember how that felt too?

In the Gospel of Luke 1:26-45 we read story of Mary, who just found out that she was pregnant and heard that her relative Elizabeth was 6 months along.  Trusting God, Mary went in a hurry on a dangerous 90-mile journey to be with Elizabeth and attend to her needs.

 When Mary arrived, she was greeted with a lot of excitement. Elizabeth was shouting, John was jumping up and down inside of her, the whole place filled with the Holy Spirit.  Mary’s presence in the house of Zacharia to be with Elizabeth was a big deal. 

I think these stories shows us that sometimes our physical presen”ce” is the best gift we can give someone. By being present, we can help Jesus bring gladness into the life of someone who otherwise might be all alone. There are many who dread Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even their birthday because those days that should be celebrated with friends and family, are filled with intense loneliness. If we take Mary as an example, she shows us how we can be there for one another.

Prompted by the angel from God, Mary went to care for and serve Elizabeth. A question we can ask ourselves, “Is there someone on my mind, someone God is prompting me to be with?”  Who is that person? How can I care for and serve them?  Sometimes its as simple as just being present and listening. 

There is a young man I know who God placed in my path.  He’s working through some messy life issues.  When his frustrations build to an unbearable level, he says to me, “We need to have another one of those talks.”  Thing is, I don’t say much, I let him let all his frustrations out.  I assure him of my support, we pray and with a huge burden lifted from his soul, he smiles.

Mary went in haste. She didn’t dilly dally.  So if there, is someone you feel God is asking you to be with, you need to decide now that you are going to go. Tomorrow could be too late.  Delay could result in loss and regret.

It took effort for Mary to make the 90-mile journey.  It takes effort for us to be with one another too. It could be a matter of distance, time, but I think most often it’s our fear of developing or deepening a relationship, getting too involved, and our busyness and an excuse, that we need to make the effort to overcome.

If there is a message we can take away from this Gospel passage, I think it would be to trust God, make the effort, now, to go to whom God is sending you and be with them.  By your presence, you can help Jesus overcome despair, loneliness, sadness, emptiness and bring a sense of the hope, love, joy, and peace of the advent season into their life. Christmas presen(ts) are nice, but your physical presen(ce) is a big deal.

John 18:33-37

Pilate said to Jesus,

"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

We are bombarded daily with opinions. Especially with social media, it seems like there are an infinite number of people and organizations, that try to play with our emotions, keep us from thinking and then tell us what we “should” do or think. If we get caught up in this space, we can become confused, led astray, and even do things against the will of God. So, who do we listen to?  What is the truth?

 In the Catholic Church, the feast of Christ the King is celebrated several weeks before Christmas every year. Pope Pius XI started The Feast in 1925 hoping that the annual celebration would remind us that Christ is our King, Christ is the way, Christ is the truth. We are reminded to strengthen our relationship with Jesus and put it first, above all other things, to let Him reign in our lives, not politicians or the opinions of others on social media, and gain the courage we need to bring Jesus from the “Church into the streets” and invite back those who are separated from him.

Knowing Christ as our king, we know our true authority, and we know truth. As Jesus said in the gospel, his kingdom isn’t here. It’s not of the world, it’s other worldly. So then to see and know truth, we must look out of this world.

In this world, we see people who are sometimes ignored, pushed aside, or marginalized because they don’t meet some expectation of normal that the world has placed on them.  Truth is, we are happier when we meet, accept, and get to know people where they are.  Not force them to look and act a certain way to be included, but constantly invite them, as they are, into a loving relationship with Jesus. The kingdom of God is one of invitation.

In this world, when someone wrongs or offends us, we can become angry and fall into the trap of judging, holding grudges, and even seeking revenge. The world might even say that because we were treated unjustly, we have a right to reciprocate and behave this way.  Truth is, we are happier when we meet offenses with mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. The kingdom of God is one of mercy.

This world encourages us to pursue things because it says they will make us happy.  But, if we aren’t careful, these things can overcome us, become all we think about, and eventually we don’t own them, they own us.  Truth is, we are happier when we are attached only to God and not to earthly possessions. We can enjoy and be grateful for the gifts we are given and not fall to pieces if we lose them or need to let them go.  The kingdom of God is one of detachment from worldly things.

The world encourages us to focus on ourselves. It’s called individualism.  I am responsible only for myself. I can do and have a right to do whatever I want to make myself feel happy.  Everyone else is not my problem.  They are responsible for their own existence, and happiness.  Truth is, we are happier when we are for others and not rooted in our own selfishness.  We are made that way.  We were made for community and communion. That’s why we gather to worship together.  The Kingdom of God is a generous community focused on the good of others.

There is sickness, suffering, death, and evil in the world.  This causes some to ask, “If God is so good, why do bad things happen to good people?” and can even lead some to turn their backs on God.  Truth is, we are happier when we believe, trust and work with God to overcome these things. In the kingdom of God, evil, and all these bad things are overcome by doing good.

Sometimes in our loneliness, the world can make us think we don’t matter.  We’re not good enough. It’s hopeless.  But, here is the biggest truth.  Truth is, Jesus came to save you from that hopelessness.  He died to save you from sin and evil.  He rose so he could be with you forever.  Because, truth is, you are worth it.  You are his and he loves you more than anything.  In the kingdom of God you are a cherished and precious son or daughter.

Christ is our King, and there is a Kingdom. We are royal subjects in his Kingdom. Our duty is to witness the truth of Jesus in love, act like we are out of this world, and bring his Kingdom into the streets. At Catholic Charities, we can see the Kingdom in the streets.  We see exclusion overcome with invitation, judgement overcome with mercy, possessiveness overcome with detachment, selfishness overcome with generosity, evil overcome with good, and hopelessness overcome with love.  Truth is, in the Kingdom of Christ our King, we can peacefully endure anything that comes our way, free from fear, anxiety, confusion, or anything else that our world tries to control us with because we know truth.

To answer your question Pilate, “What is truth?”  Jesus, Jesus is truth.

Drinking from His Cup

(Mark 10:35-45)

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"
They answered him, "Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."

Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

They said to him, "We can."
Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared."

When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt.

But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." 

Jesus’ question to his disciples is an interesting one.  Can you drink the cup I drink?  Preoccupied with their desires for greatness, their answer seems like it might have been a little premature, like they didn’t really understand the cup Jesus would drink. The cup was his redemptive suffering.

Everything Jesus suffered, the condemnation, the whipping and beating, spitting, name calling, humiliation, the crown, the cross, the nails, the abandonment, and finally his death had a purpose.  The purpose for all that suffering was for us, so that we might be redeemed.  So that we might be freed from the clutches of evil and sin in the world, that draws us away from Him and returns us to the loving embrace of God our father.  Jesus suffered to rescue you.

Knowing what drinking from the cup represents, the response Jesus gives his disciples can seem a little frightening. “The cup I drink, you will drink.” The cup he drinks, we will drink.  Seems like we don’t have a choice.  We will suffer.  In one way or another and to different degrees, in this life we will suffer.

Like Jesus, our suffering doesn’t have to be meaningless. Suffering is hard, painful, and not something we seek out but, it can have a purpose. That purpose is to help Jesus continue to redeem the world.  To bring about the conversion of souls and bring people closer and closer to God.  St. Therese of Lisieux said that suffering, gladly borne for others converts more people than sermons. By enduring suffering for others and uniting it to Jesus, we become co-redeemers.

This isn’t something that automatically happens though.  This is something we must choose to do. We might pray something like, “Jesus, like you did on the cross, I am willing to accept and endure this suffering.  I give all my affliction to you, that …….. might be brought closer to you.” A name or face becomes the intention of our suffering. It has a real purpose.

When we patiently assume our suffering in this way, it becomes a spiritual sacrifice that we unite to the sacrifice of Jesus, who meets our pain with spiritual power, grace, and consolation.

This leads to the second point to our suffering. We suffer so that others may be consoled and believe.  St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says that God consoles us in every affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction.  Because of our suffering, we are able to share God’s consolation with others in their suffering.  They show us the face of the suffering Jesus, we show them his love in return.

Mary is an example to what it means to console.  She saw her son’s bloody, whipped and beaten body.  She heard the names he was called, what people said about him, and their cry for his crucifixion.  Their eyes met as she stood in the noisy crowd and watched beaten and weary her son struggle to carry his cross.  She looked upon him as he hung and died on his cross.  Mary didn’t stop or change anything, but she was with her son until the end.

Many who come to Catholic Charities are suffering. They come because they are seen, noticed, accepted, and accompanied in their struggles, no matter who they are. Often, they are helped, and their suffering reduced.  Sometimes though like Mary, nothing can be done to change the situation, but they are consoled in the fact that they are not suffering alone.  Just knowing somebody cares makes all the difference in the world.

The cup I drink, you will drink. Suffering can have a great value. If you’re suffering, give your suffering a face, give it a purpose, join your sacrifice to Jesus.  If you know somebody who is suffering, be with them, help them drink the cup they drink.  Both those who suffer and those who are with them can experience an intimate encounter with Jesus, helping him to continue to redeem the world.

Who's the Greatest

Mk 9:33-37

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?

But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them,

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

 In this story we hear about Jesus’ and his disciples making their way to Capernaum, and the disciples arguing with each other about who was the greatest.  How would you feel, listening to that?   It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t stop them in their tracks and tell them to just be quiet, that he didn’t want to hear their self-centered babbling or, give them a good talking to, to correct them.  Instead, he patiently waited until they got to a house, went inside, didn’t scold them, but taught them.  And he does the same for us.  We spend time with Jesus, to listen to him, and learn something about what it takes to be a disciple of his.

The disciples on the road were in competition with each other to be the greatest.  It seems to be human nature and even an expectation of our society for us to compete with one another.  Competition itself isn’t bad, and sometimes can even help us grow but, it can get out of hand.  If we compete out of jealousy, or a craving for power, seeking our own glory and prestige, it can become an obsession and make us oblivious to what God is really asking us to do, and clueless to what it really takes to be first. This is what Jesus was helping his disciples realize back then in Capernaum and he’s showing us the same thing today, what it really takes to be first.

While society might expect us to aim as much as we can to be first, Jesus requires a different approach. To be first, seek to go as low as you can go. Aspire, not to be the boss or big shot, but to be a servant and serve out of a love that is expressed with concrete actions, especially toward those who are most helpless. 

Jesus picked up a child, wrapped his arms around it and said, “Whoever receives one child, such as this, in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me.”  Motivated by love, our love for Jesus, and his love for us, we receive, welcome and serve those who are powerless, marginalized, ignored and lowly so that the love Jesus has for them may reach them through us.  The love we give, is the love of Jesus.  Whenever we welcome and then serve someone in this way, Jesus becomes present.    

I see this often when I’m at Catholic Charities in Flint.  Whoever comes is received, welcomed and served to the best of the agency’s ability.  They are given clothing, food, assistance with bills, assistance with housing, and a lot of other things.  There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus is present in downtown Flint loving those who have the least.

You can do this.  You already have what it takes.  You are a child of God.  He created you and because he loves what he created, you can trust him.  Today he invites you to set aside your pride, set aside any selfish competition you have going on in your life to allow your heart to be open to receive even more of his love.  He created you with special talents, gifts, and abilities in your own special way, to use to allow this love he has placed in your heart to reach others.  To be first, we allow the love Jesus has placed in our hearts to touch others through serving them.

I invite you to take some time to become aware of those thigs God has given to you, and in prayer, ask how you might use what you were given to welcome and serve those most in need so that through you, Jesus will become present.

Peace,
Deacon Ken

Investing Your Talents

“It will be as when a man who was going on a journey* called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.

Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

[Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’

His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!* So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?  Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.

For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.   And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

Today we hear Jesus telling us the parable of the talents.  You’ve probably heard this story before. It gives us a warning and a blessing.  It lets us know that if we invest the talents God has given us, we will enter into the joy of his kingdom.  That’s what we’re after isn’t it, joy with God?  But this teaching raises some questions.  First what talents has God given me?  How do I invest them and, how does this lead to a joyful existence with God in his kingdom?  

The man in the parable gave his servants talents.  So, what talents has God given to me?  When we ponder that question, it’s sometimes easier to come up with a list of talents he didn’t give us.  Other times though, when we think of talents, our minds might focus our natural abilities like playing music, singing, athletics, or we might think of what we do for our job, or the ability we have to manage our time and resources.  While all of these are talents, I’d like to suggest other talents God has given each of us.  Talents that we may or may not have discovered about ourselves.  These talents have to do with the way we most naturally think, behave, and feel.  There are different, practical tools we can use to determine or discover these talents, but one that seems to be a favorite right now and what I’ll use for an example is called Strength Finders.

Some people question or even disregard these types of assessments, but others consider them a very practical way to become aware of the way that God so wonderfully created us with the talents he’s given each of us.  For example, I discovered a talent God has given me is one of a Developer.  I am someone who naturally wants to give help and encouragement to enable others to learn, grow, and improve.  Kind of like a coach.  When I learned this, I felt excited and grateful that God would trust me with that talent. 

The good and faithful servants in the parable invested their talents.  Once we know the talents we have, how do we invest them?  Investing is a two-part process. 

First, we need to develop and practice this talent.  So for my example, I couldn’t just run out and start coaching, I needed to learn more about it, so I participated in a several coaching and mentoring workshops which allowed me to learn and practice techniques and methods of coaching different people in different situations. 

The second step completes our investment.  Investment only truly happens when we use our talents in the service of and for the good of others, as is done here at Catholic Charities.  To use it for our own benefit would be like the servant in the parable who buried the one talent he received.  There is no return because there is no real investment.  We only have what we were given.  To put our talents at the service of others requires something more… grace.

The grace we receive through the Holy Spirit enables us to use our talents to serve others in a way that far exceeds our own natural abilities.  Through the Holy Spirit, we receive the grace we need, when we need it and can then do what we could never do on our own.  It is with this grace that I can fully invest my talent as a developer by helping and encouraging those I am with.  In this case, their growth is the return on my investment.  Their growth is what I give back to God.

Sometimes in life, we can feel like the lazy servant lost, in the darkness, outside.   We can eventually lose even what we think we have, we can lose ourselves.  We feel like we’re in a free fall, we’re afraid, we’re paralyzed, asking ourselves, what happened to the person I thought I was, where did that person go?  Where am I?  What do I do now?  There is no gratitude for who we are because we no longer know who we are or how we are made. Life seems like a pointless, frustrating struggle.  Even there though, we are not lost forever.     

Because everything we are is from God, and he loves what he has made, it’s  never too late for us to start again.  We can cry out to him for help, to come find us, to stop the free fall, to remove the fear, to show us of who we are and how beautifully and wonderfully we’re made, with the talents we’ve been given.  With this renewed awareness comes gratitude and love.  We accept and love ourselves as we are, and are grateful to God for making us who we are, allowing him to move us in new ways, using the talents he’s given us to serve others.  There is investment, there is return, our lives have purpose, and that purpose is to work with God to build his kingdom right here, right now, amongst us, there is the joy.     

Blessings,
Deacon Ken

Are You Listening?

Luke 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

 And Mary said:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name. 

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever."
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

In this familiar story we hear Mary, her trip to visit Elizabeth and her Magnificat, praising God for all he has done, all because she did her part and answered yes to what God asked her to do.  The message Jesus has for us as his disciples is to “Be like My Mom,” to pay attention, listen, hear what God is asking of us, and then do your part. 

God can speak to us through our conscience, scripture, in prayer, through other people and circumstances in our life, and even our dreams.  As a disciple, it’s our job is to pay attention and listen, and of all the voices we hear, discern which one is God’s so we can know what he’s asking us to do and then do our part.  We listen in order to do.

While it can be frustrating to filter through all the voices we hear to know if it’s God asking us to do something, there are a couple of questions we can ask ourselves to help us know.  First, is what you think God is asking you to do good?  God would never ask you to do something sinful or contrary to his teachings. 

Next, can you do it?  Is it something that you’re physically or mentally capable of doing?  Sometimes our pride can trick us and bring to our consciousness something we wish we could do, maybe out of a need to be noticed or feel important and significant.

If you’ve made it this far, the next question, is it wise for you to do this?  This is where self-awareness is important.  Knowing the gifts God has given you and understanding who God made you to be, can help determine if it is a wise choice to do what you think God may be asking.

The last question to ask, is this something I want?  If what you think God is asking you to do is good, you’re able to do it, it’s a wise thing for you, it matches up with who God made you to be, and it’s something you want because it gives you a sense of life and energy, there is a good chance it’s God’s voice you’re hearing.  The next step is to be like Mary and do your part.  The final test will be the fruit that results from what you do.  If it is good, then like Mary did in her Magnificat, we praise God, thanking him for looking upon us, guiding our life, and blessing us.

We don’t need to do everything. The only part we need to do is our part.  If all of us pay attention, listen and do just our part it leads to a harmonious, united family, church, and community.  We are united by the fact that we are all doing something different.  There is unity in our diversity.

If you can, imagine a symphony.  Each person has received their part, prepared by practicing their part, and arrived ready to perform their part.  Paying attention to the conductor, they watch for the cue and begin.  The result of each person doing their part is beautiful harmony.   

So if it is unity we seek, then let’s be like Mary. As we go through life, pay attention, listen for God’s words to us, and then do our part, knowing that one day as our life comes to its fulfillment, we will join Jesus in heaven, he will run to us, embrace us, and welcome us to our true home.

Blessings,
Deacon Ken

Resting With Jesus

Mk 6:30-34
The apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

Jesus sent his apostles out two by two.  He told them how to travel and what to do.  In this passage they return and tell Jesus all they had done.  After their work, Jesus knew they would need to recharge for what was coming next so, he responded to them by inviting them to come away to a deserted place to rest a while.  Jesus is reminding all of us, that even when we are doing his work, it’s important for the health of our soul to rest.

Our souls and our actions are so intertwined, without resting as Jesus invites us to, things can get pretty difficult. We risk becoming unsure of why we’re doing what we’re doing but, we just keep doing it. Instead of life giving, activities become mechanical and draining.  Our energy is spent and we are tired.  If we continue, we risk becoming discouraged, withdrawing from activities and other people, feeling disconnected from God, and worse, becoming doubtful, depressed, and even hopeless.  We check-out mentally.  We quit.  The devil will use our busyness, even busyness doing good works, to drive us to this point.  Attending to our soul, by resting protects us from Satan’s plans. 

Resting with Jesus re-invigorates us to do his work with joy and authenticity.  We find we can do things we couldn’t possibly do on our own. In some cases, we can do even more with less labor.  We are energized, able to patiently and courageously take on things that might seem impossible. 

Resting gives us a sense of purpose and direction.  It helps us stay in touch with what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.  We realize the work we’re doing is Jesus’ work.  Only when we take time to quiet ourselves and be still can we hear the inspiration he sends us.  We can then serve him, not out of fear of failure or a need for self-gratification, we do things because of love, the love Jesus has for us, the love we have for him, and a desire to share that love with others.  Our purpose for what we do is to love like Jesus does. 

Resting helps to remind us how much we are loved by Jesus, that nothing will change the love he has for us.  This keeps us from becoming discouraged in times we feel overwhelmed, overlooked, or rejected. Rather than quitting, resting gives us the ability to shake the dust off our feet and keep moving forward.

Resting is not just stopping what we’re doing to take a nap. It’s receiving an increase in God’s grace that re-charges us and refreshes our soul. Resting begins with accepting Jesus’ invitation to come away and rest a while.  One way to do this that you may want to try, it to set aside about 20-30 minutes, every day to put yourself in the presence of Jesus.  I like to do this is by using lectio divina  (https://bustedhalo.com/ministry-resources/lectio-divina-beginners-guide)

with a gospel passage.  For me, meditating on a scene from the Gospel puts a picture in my mind that helps me stay focused and not get distracted. 

When you are there with Jesus, share with him your gratitude, your wants and desires, and whatever is weighing on your heart and mind, and then listen to what he has to say through scripture, your conscience or an inspiration.  Then let the time you spent with Jesus guide how you deal with the day to come.

 So, if life seems a little messy right now, if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, like no one really cares, if the things you do seem burdensome and meaningless, if your energy is spent, please don’t check out.  Don’t quit.  Instead, come away with Jesus, be in his presence and rest awhile.

Blessings,
Deacon Ken

A Mother's Love

Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children* and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour. Matthew 15: 21-28

Over the years, living in a house with my wife and two daughters, I’ve been blessed to see how mothers and daughters relate to one another and how their relationships change.  When our girls were young I saw much fun and love, even though everything wasn’t always smooth and easy.  Time passed and adolescence set in.  There was shopping, clothes, emotions, conflict, even tears sometimes, and still much love.   As they make their own way in the world, their relationship with their mom is becoming a beautiful, loving friendship. 

Psychiatrists say that not all, but for the most part, the mother-daughter relationship is very strong, in fact, some say the most powerful bond in the world.  It affects health, self-esteem, and even other relationships.

I think this understanding of the bond between a mother and her daughter helps to partly explain the actions of the woman in the gospel story.  She was a Canaanite, a Gentile.  She was not a child of the house of Israel, not a follower of Jesus and had no claim on his healing, as he made clear to her.  They were from different places, had different religious beliefs and on the surface, nothing in common.  There was a divide between them.  She really had no business going to him to ask for help, but something drew her. 

I imagine this woman heard others talking about Jesus and how he healed.  What would a mother not do for her daughter? She let hope creep into her heart that Jesus could heal her.  It was a mother’s love that motivated her to be brave, (for it is difficult to ask for help from those who do not share our beliefs or understanding of ourselves) and take advantage of the opportunity to go to Jesus as he passed by.  The strong bond of love this woman had for her daughter drew her to him despite the obstacles.  I think we can learn a lot from this story,  about our relationship with Jesus and with one another by what didn’t happen. 

First, Jesus didn’t send her away.  Even though they were very different, she still approached him and Jesus allowed her to remain in his presence.  We can go to Jesus no matter who we think we are, we can go to him just as we are.  We don’t have to worry that we’re not good enough or worthy.  We can trust that he will never send us away and will always receive us, that our life matters to him, that our suffering will be met with his mercy. 

Everything Jesus does is a lesson in how we should behave. If Jesus does it for us, we should do it for one another.  Even in our differences, to receive one another, to know that everyone’s life matters, and to meet suffering with mercy.  I witness this in my ministry at Catholic Charities where they provide help to everyone who comes to their door, regardless of race, faith, politics or any other ideology that can divide us.   

The woman didn’t stop her pleading.  Even though she was annoying to his followers, who were telling him to send her away, she didn’t listen and kept her focus on Jesus.  In our lives, there are things that distract us from Jesus and separate us from one another.  Sometimes it’s our own doubt, pride, anger, and fear.  Sometimes it’s the voices of friends, family members, and the media. Like this woman, we need to look beyond these things, not let them distract us, and focus on what brings us closer to Jesus and closer to one another. 

Jesus didn’t answer the woman as she expected.  At first, there was no answer, and when he did answer, told her it wasn’t right to take the food from the children and throw it to the dogs. I bet this wasn’t the answer she expected to hear.  Sometimes we wonder if God is listening to us or even intentionally ignoring us, when we don’t get the answer we want- when we want it.   

In our relationships with one another we may not always agree.  We may not get the answers we want when we want them either, because we think differently.  It does not mean that they do not contribute something valuable to our lives.

This woman didn’t leave Jesus.  Driven by the love for her daughter, and the knowledge that he was her only remaining hope to end their suffering, she continued to follow him.  Even after he implied she wasn’t worthy of his attention, she didn’t give up.  She kept the conversation open.  She didn’t become offended but remained humble and determined and stayed with Jesus, she clung to him. 

Even though they were different; even though people were trying to send her away and separate them; even though she wasn’t getting the answers she expected; through it all, motivated by love and knowing he was able to heal her daughter, she wasn’t going to leave him.  That is her great faith. 

That is the faith we are called to.  To know Jesus is able and can do what we ask, and through it all, through whatever we go through, to cling to him in our humility, even if he doesn’t answer how and when we expect. 

We are called to a faith that is motivated by love, acknowledging our differences, ignoring the voices of distraction, and seeing past things that try to separate us. We are asked not to become offended,  but to remain humble and determined to keep conversations open. To stay with one another.  To have faith in one another. To be a source of hope.

Healing Begins with Faith

Mk 5:25-34

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.  She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.
She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?”
But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

This reading of the woman with the hemorrhage is one of my favorites.  Now that may sound gross, and I don’t like blood.  In fact the sight of it can make me queasy.  This woman spent a lot of time and all of her money on doctors who tried to cure her, but they only made things worse.  She suffered even more.  Somebody told her about Jesus.  And they must have done a pretty good job because she believed that, if she could just touch his cloak, she would be healed. 

When I listen to this reading, I imagine the mob of people around Jesus, I see this woman on the edge of the crowd, looking for him, locking her eyes on him and making her way toward him. I feel her struggle, bumping into and pressing others out of her way, crawling if she needed to, whatever it took to get to him.  Until finally, she finds herself right next to him.  In my imagination I can feel the peace that comes over her as she reaches out and touches his cloak and is healed instantly, and she knew it. I can relate to how the struggles in my own life often feel like I’m grasping, and struggling to find healing, peace or direction.

I like the thought that no matter how messed up we might think our lives have become, we can put ourselves in this woman’s place, and if we can just make our way to Jesus, reach out and touch him, really touch him, we will be ok.  We can overcome. He WILL change our lives. 

 After she touched him, Jesus knew it and he asked everyone, “Who touched my clothes?”  They replied with, what, are you kidding?  Do you see all these people around you?  Everybody’s shoving and bumping into you.  What do you mean, who touched you?

Jesus looked through the crowd and replied, no, really, who touched me?  He looked around for who he felt touched him, and the woman came forward afraid and trembling.  She was afraid of what Jesus might say to her because what she had done was against the law.  Since she was chronically bleeding, she was considered unclean.  Being unclean, she was not allowed to touch anyone, or they would become unclean too.  Well, she touched Jesus.  Would he be upset that she had done so?  She was trembling.  Trembling because she knew whose presence, she was in. She knew who she had come in contact with.  She had touched the Son of God, was healed, and was trembling with awe in his presence.

And what did Jesus do?  Did he scold or criticize her?  No, the first word he said was daughter.  This part of the story touches me.  He called her daughter.  Being a father of two girls myself, this word has a special meaning to me.  I know the deep love I have for both of them.  How much more love did Jesus have for this woman, his daughter?  How much more love does he have for you?

Healing begins with faith, like the woman in the gospel.  Faith to make your way to Jesus to touch him, and more importantly to let him touch you with his love.  Faith to know that he infinitely loves you right where you are.  Faith to know he can and will bring peace to your life, if you trust in him.  If you as him for guidance, protection and direction he will listen.

Calming the Storms

Mk 4:35-41

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

Towards the end of my time at GM, there was a saying I had and became quite well known for.  The saying was, “Who Cares.”  It was so well known that for a retirement present, people I worked with got me a t-shirt with “Who Cares” stamped across the front of it.  This came about because, during a complicated construction project, whenever a problem was brought to my attention, my initial response was, “Who cares?”  People could be turned off by hearing that, so a person I worked with would translate,  “It’s not really that he doesn’t care, it’s just that he’s not worried.” 

That was the case, I wasn’t worried, because I had faith, faith in Jesus.  Even what I did at work, he was in control of, not me, and if I did things his way, everything always worked out.  I had faith in the team of people I worked with because of the time we had spent together and things we had done in the past. No matter the problem, it could be overcome.

In this Gospel story, even Jesus can seem like he doesn’t care.  Sleeping in the back of the boat while a storm raged around them, the disciples had to wake him up and ask, “Teacher, don’t you care…?” Jesus replied with peace, stillness, and calm. 

Jesus offers a hope for that way of life.  A life where we can be calm, peaceful, and joyful in our struggles, tensions, and stresses.  It’s a fearless life.  A life free from fear of things that could threaten us and keep us from doing what God is asking us to do.  A life that makes the devil tremble and causes others to take notice. This life begins with faith.

Wealth, status, power, and control are not the secret to living this type of life.  It is only our faith, our trust in Jesus that enables us to live this life that he offers.  Reflecting on this gospel story is a chance for us to awaken and strengthen our faith and increase our trust in him.  A chance to remind ourselves that Jesus has authority over anything that could threaten us.  A chance for us to decide to go to the back of the boat, not out of fear, although sometimes that’s what it takes to get us to go to him, but to go to him out of faith, knowing that by trusting him, whatever we’re going through, while it may not be easy, we’ll get through it and somehow things will work out and we’ll be ok.

Going to the back of the boat begins with our deciding to do so.  We decide to take time to quiet ourselves and reflect on what’s going on in and around us, paying attention to our thoughts and feelings. Noticing things that feel heavy on our minds and hearts, and becoming aware of what we’re worried about. Then we decide to go to Jesus in prayer and tell him about them. 

When we reflect and pray this way, a couple things can happen:

Sometimes in prayer we can receive a message from Jesus, a simple thing we could do that would relieve our worry.  It’s up to us to do it.  No one else, just us.  Sometimes we resist because it seems silly, or that it wouldn’t make a difference, or we’re just too lazy.  Until we do this simple thing, the worry will persist.  So if Jesus gives you something to do, just do it.

Sometimes things aren’t so simple.  In more complicated circumstances, going to the back of the boat includes humility.  We set aside our pride, give up trying to control the situation, and surrender our worry to Jesus.  But, that doesn’t mean that we can just sit back and do nothing. 

While we’re in the back of the boat, we’re not only humble, but willing - willing to receive help, willing to let someone else take the lead, and willing to do our part.  We pay attention to who Jesus sends to help us and we openly receive this help because we know it comes from him.   Although it might not be easy, in God’s time, by doing our part and with the help of others, we get through what we’re going through. Things work out and we’re ok.

Our faith in Jesus, knowing he’s in our boat, knowing we can go to him and trust that he helps us to get through whatever we’re going through, is the key to living the fearless, calm, and peaceful life he offers us.  So take some time in the coming week to silence yourself, reflect, pray, do your part, and let Jesus remove worry from your life.

Proclaiming the Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Just before Jesus went to heaven to be with his father, he told his disciples what to do next and tells us what it is we are to do. “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”  If we are to do that, we need to know what this gospel is, how to proclaim it, and the power it contains.

The gospel is for you to know that God created you and everything about you and that he loves you.  There is nothing you could ever do to make him love you more, and there is nothing you could do that would make him love you any less.  Nothing will stop him from totally loving you. 

Jesus loves you so much that he wants always to be with you, and for you to be where he is.  He died for you, so that your sins could be forgiven and no longer separate you from him.  He rose from the dead, he is alive and will be with you and you can be with him forever.  The Gospel is the love of Jesus.  We provide hope to others when we proclaim it. 

So, how do we to proclaim it? 

Pope Francis in his exhortation The Joy of the Gospel, says that if we are to proclaim this Gospel as Jesus tells us, we need to constantly be ready to bring the love of Jesus to others.  For most of us “proclaiming” will happen in a conversation with someone we meet, and it begins with “listening.” 

When we put aside all distractions and make ourselves totally present to someone; and listen to them tell us their joys, hopes, sorrows, and concerns, we show them how much we care. When they know we care, they will listen to us.  Then and only then, can we proclaim the Gospel, and speak the love of Jesus, into their lives and their circumstances. Never judging, criticizing, advising, or even correcting their thought process, but humbly and gently helping them realize how much they are loved.  If the situation is right, praying with them for their concerns.  Then they know that they’ve been heard and understood, their concerns are given to God, and that he cares about them and their life. They have hope.  In this exchange though, we’re not alone, Jesus works with us.

When we proclaim the Gospel the power of Jesus accompanies us and makes things happen.  Through our proclamation, it’s the power of Jesus that heals.  It’s the power of Jesus that comforts and consoles in times of sorrow, stress, and anxiety.  It’s the power of Jesus that overcomes division, unites us, and helps us to love one another.  It’s the power of Jesus that discredits the devil’s accusations and offers us forgiveness and mercy.  It’s the power of Jesus that undoes the lies we believe about ourselves and reveals to us who we really are.  It’s the power of Jesus that frees us from death and gives us life. Our proclaiming the Gospel, accompanied with the power of Jesus, transforms life and gives hope.

 “Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” There is nothing to be afraid of.  You have everything you need.  He will place in your life those longing to hear the Gospel.  As you proclaim, they will hear what he needs them to hear, know how much they are loved, and experience the power of Jesus to make things happen.